Pumps

ABSTRACT

Pump designs are detailed. A pump may include a fan having one or more pass-through holes allowing ambient air to be drawn through a fan near a motor shaft bearing for cooling purposes. Alternatively or additionally, a pump may include modular stages to facilitate servicing and repair.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/240,983, filed Oct. 13, 2015, and having the same title as appears above, the entire contents of which application are hereby incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to pumps for moving fluid and particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, to pumps having either or both of (1) fans configured to draw ambient air near axes of the fans so as to cool associated motor shaft bearings and (2) modular, multi-stage designs. The pumps are especially useful as booster pumps for “pressure-side” automatic swimming pool cleaners (sometimes called “pressure-side APCs”) in liquid communication with outlets of the pumps through which pressurized water exits for return to swimming pools or spas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0136363 of Stiles, Jr., et al., incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, discusses a multi-stage booster pump for use with a pool or spa. Water flows through an annular space surrounding a motor of the pump; according to the Stiles, Jr. application, this flowing water “carr[ies] away heat generated by the motor” and “absorbs and dampens motor vibration and noise.” See Stiles, Jr., p. 2, ¶0018. The pump also is described as including two diffuser units, or “stages,” see id., p. 1, ¶0013, with the application generically mentioning that “more or fewer” diffuser units may be used instead. See id., p. 2, ¶0019.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides alternative pump designs. Including a particularized fan design as part of the pump may be beneficial in order to draw ambient air near the fan axis where it can cool the motor shaft bearing. This air is then pushed out radially between the fan plate and motor end cap and converges with the primary fan air to then exit the fan and cool the motor. As the primary fan air and the secondary fan air meet, they both travel in a similar direction out of the fan and over the motor. All the air moving in a similar direction reduces turbulent air flow and therefore reduces noise. Without a flow of secondary air behind the fan plate, primary air recirculation behind the fan can add noise to the system.

Pump stages, with each stage including an impeller and a diffuser, additionally may be formed as modules. Multistage pumps allow for very high water pressure to be generated, as every stage added to a pump boosts the water pressure. However, increasing the number of its stages also adds more parts and complexity to a pump making service and repair more difficult. A typical pump stage has at least three parts—including one impeller and two diffuser housings. In the case of a four-stage pump, therefore, a typical design would have twelve (4×3=12) parts to manage during service. However, because the present invention designs stages as modules, servicing of the inventive pump requires managing only the four assemblies rather than twelve individual parts.

It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the invention to provide designs for pumps.

It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide multi-stage pumps with modular stages.

It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide pumps having fans configured to draw ambient air near axes of the fans so as to cool associated motor shaft bearings.

It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide pumps especially useful in connection with water-circulation systems of swimming pools and spas.

It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide pumps especially useful as booster pumps for pressure-side APCs.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the remaining text and the drawings of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-2 are perspective views of an exemplary pump of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational, partially cut-away view of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the cut-away portion of the pump of FIG. 1 shown in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6-7 are perspective views of a fan useful as part of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is another perspective, partially cut-away view of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 10-11 are perspective, partially exploded and cut-away views of stages useful as part of the pump of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a stage useful as part of the pump of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 is an exemplary pump 10 consistent with the present invention. Pump 10 is denoted in FIG. 1 as having four stages, with such stages 14 further depicted in, e.g., FIGS. 9-10. Pump 10 may include (liquid) inlet 18, (liquid) outlet 22 and, if desired, base 26. Other conventional features of such a pump 10, such as a motor or drain plug 28, will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant fields.

Depicted especially in FIG. 1 is handle 29. Handle 29 is configured to be grasped manually to facilitate movement of pump 10 as needed or desired. In at least some versions of pump 10, handle 29 may be integrated into body 31 of the wet end of the pump 10.

Also shown in FIGS. 1-2 is exterior 30 of fan assembly 34. Fan assembly 34 may comprise cover 38, whose face 42 is not solid so as to permit ambient air to enter interior 46 of the assembly 34 (see FIG. 4). As illustrated especially in FIGS. 3-5, positioned within interior 46 may be fan 50. Fan 50 is configured to rotate about motor shaft 54 (see FIG. 10) or, conceivably, about an axis aligned with such a motor shaft and coupled thereto.

Cover 38 preferably is removable without needing access from the bottom side of the motor to any fasteners. For example, FIGS. 1-2 show a screw 47 present in a side 48 of cover 38. That screw 47, plus another screw on the opposed side of cover, and optionally plus clips, may function to removably connect cover 38 to other components of fan assembly 34. Screw 47 additionally may form part of ground bonding lug 49.

Fan 50 may, if desired, have a generally circular cross-section and define front 58 (oriented toward inlet 18), rear 62 (oriented toward cover 38), and periphery 64. Fan 50 additionally includes a central opening 66 for receiving motor shaft 54 or similar. These features are depicted at least in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7.

Further detailed in these drawings are blades 70 and pass-through holes 74 of fan 50. FIG. 6 illustrates seven blades 70 extending from rear 62, each having a first end 78 adjacent central opening 66 and a second end 82 adjacent (outer) periphery 64. More or fewer than seven blades 70 may be present, however, if appropriate or desired. Also illustrated are seven pass-through holes 74 from rear 62 to front 58, each disposed between adjacent blades 70 and generally near central opening 66. Again, however, more or fewer holes 74 may be present, although in some versions the numbers of blades 70 and holes 74 preferably are equal.

Depicted in FIG. 7 as present on front 58 are blades 83. Like blades 70, blades 83 each may have a first end 84 adjacent central opening 66 and a second end 85 adjacent periphery 64. Advantageously, blades 83 may have less depth than blades 70.

Operation of a motor of pump 10 rotates motor shaft 54, in turn rotating fan 50. As fan 50 rotates, it draws ambient air through cover 38 into interior 46 of fan assembly 34. Arrows A of FIG. 5 detail the flow direction of this air as it approaches face 42. Further shown in FIG. 5 is that blades 70, together with holes 74, create two air-flow streams within assembly 34, a nominally “primary” stream 78 that does not pass through holes 74 and a “secondary” stream 82 that does pass through holes 74. Drawing ambient air through fan 50 via holes 74 better cools the bearing for motor shaft 54 and helps reduce noisy air-recirculation areas that would otherwise exist between fan 50 and face 42. This latter advantage is particularly true when the drawn air is then forced out past the motor of pump 10 (see arrows B of FIG. 5).

Detailed in FIGS. 9-10 and 12 are modular stages 14 of pump 10. The cut-away drawing of FIG. 9 illustrates four such stages 14 positioned adjacent each other (or “stacked,” using terminology of the Stiles, Jr. application). Each stage 14 may include at least an impeller 86 and a diffuser 90; like fan 50, stages 14 may be positioned so as to rotate about motor shaft 54 (or an axis aligned with and coupled thereto). As shown in FIG. 11, a stage 14 may comprise three parts—two (90A and 90B) clipping or otherwise connecting together to form diffuser 90 and the third being impeller 86 fitted between parts 90A and 90B. Optionally, the stage 14 closest to inlet 18 further may include an O-ring to enhance mechanical sealing there.

Comparison of FIGS. 10 and 11 allows ready identification of this feature of the invention. If a stage 14 were not modular, it could be depicted as in FIG. 11—i.e. comprising, for example, three separate components. Thus, the stages of a four-stage pump would include twelve (=4×3) parts, and repair or servicing of the stages could require disassembly and management of numerous pieces. By contrast, because each stage 14 of FIG. 10 is formed as a module, repair of servicing of such a stage 14 requires management of only one module (part), and servicing of all four stages 14 requires only four modules (parts) to be managed.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pump comprising: a. a wet end body defining (i) a liquid inlet and (ii) a liquid outlet; b. a rotatable motor shaft; and c. a fan comprising: i. a central opening configured to receive the rotatable motor shaft; ii. a front; iii. a rear; iv. an outer periphery; v. a first plurality of blades extending from the rear; vi. a second plurality of blades extending from the front; and vii. a plurality of pass-through holes from the rear to the front.
 2. A pump according to claim 1 in which each blade of the first plurality of blades defines a first end adjacent the central opening and a second end adjacent the outer periphery.
 3. A pump according to claim 2 in which each blade of the second plurality of blades defines a first end adjacent the central opening and a second end adjacent the outer periphery.
 4. A pump according to claim 3 in which each blade of the first plurality of blades has a first depth and each blade of the second plurality of blades has a depth less than the first depth.
 5. A pump according to claim 1 further comprising a fan assembly comprising: a. a cover having a non-solid face; and b. an interior in which the fan is positioned.
 6. A pump according to claim 5 in which the interior is configured such that air entering it through the cover exits both (a) through the plurality of pass-through holes of the fan and (b) around the outer periphery of the fan.
 7. A pump according to claim 5 further comprising a base and in which the cover is removable so as to expose the interior without needing access, from a bottom side of a motor of which the rotatable motor shaft is a part, to any fasteners.
 8. A pump according to claim 5 further comprising a screw (a) received by the cover and (b) forming part of a ground bonding lug.
 9. A pump according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of stages positioned within the wet end body, each of the plurality of stages including a diffuser and an impeller.
 10. A pump according to claim 1 further comprising a handle integrated into the wet end body.
 11. A pump comprising: a. a wet end body defining (i) a liquid inlet and (ii) a liquid outlet; b. a motor shaft defining an axis; and c. a plurality of stages positioned within the wet end body, each of the plurality of stages comprising an impeller and a diffuser, with each impeller being configured to rotate about the axis.
 12. A pump according to claim 11 in which each of the plurality of stages defines a module separately removable from the wet end body.
 13. A pump according to claim 12 in which (a) each diffuser comprises two parts configured to be connected together and (b) the impeller is fitted between the two parts as connected together.
 14. A pump according to claim 13 further comprising a fan comprising: a. a central opening configured to receive the motor shaft; b. a front; c. a rear; d. an outer periphery; e. a first plurality of blades extending from the rear; f. a second plurality of blades extending from the front; and g. a plurality of pass-through holes from the rear to the front.
 15. A pump according to claim 11 further comprising a handle integrated into the wet end body.
 16. A booster pump for a pressure-side automatic swimming pool cleaner comprising: a. a wet end body defining (i) a liquid inlet and (ii) a liquid outlet configured to supply pressurized water to the automatic swimming pool cleaner; b. a rotatable motor shaft defining an axis; c. a fan comprising: i. a central opening configured to receive the rotatable motor shaft; ii. a front; iii. a rear; iv. an outer periphery; v. a first plurality of blades (A) extending from the rear; vi. a second plurality of blades extending from the front; and vii. a plurality of pass-through holes from the rear to the front; d. a fan assembly comprising: i. a cover having a non-solid face; and ii. an interior (A) in which the fan is positioned and (B) configured such that air entering it through the cover exits both (1) through the plurality of pass-through holes of the fan and (2) around the outer periphery of the fan; and e. a plurality of stages positioned within the wet end body, each of the plurality of stages: i. defining a module being separately removable from the wet end body; and ii. comprising (A) an impeller and (B) a two-part diffuser, with each impeller (1) configured to rotate about the axis and (2) fitted between parts of the two-part diffuser. 